Seventeenth International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic & Social Sustainability

Abstract

This research explores changes in households’ energy cultures associated with residential energy efficiency interventions, and how these interventions may induce overcoming energy poverty in social housing households in Coyhaique City, Chile. This study considers the driving factors that lead to households’ energy poverty in the city and the policies and implemented programmes to overcome this situation. Coyhaique City is worthy of focus for its poor air quality and harsh climate. Firstly, the 2019 World Air Quality Report ranked it in 2018 as the most polluted city from particulate matter 2.5 in Latin America. The city’s residential sector is the primary source of its pollutant emissions, given the high intensity of firewood combustion used for cooking and heating. Secondly, it is an “extreme-south” city, with particularly cold winters and can be considered geographically isolated. Both characteristics worsen energy poverty conditions. The findings of this research may enable policies and programmes to be more responsive to local energy cultures and more effective in overcoming energy poverty.